The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by 88Ashley88
Summary: Erin looked back at her family around the table and she smiled as she thought about how thankful she was that she followed her heart and took a chance on the man who had become so much more than just her back-up. One Shot


**Just a little fluff filled one shot. I've watched the "I love you, too" Linstead clip too many times to count and it gave me some inspiration for this one shot as did my weird excitement for Christmas. So here's a little mix of what I came up with when I joined the two together.**

 **I hope you like it.**

 **I own no rights to NBC or Chicago PD.**

 **0000000000000000**

Erin rolled over, wrapping her arm over his stomach and resting her hand on his chest. She sighed, content, and felt him hold her tight.

"They'll be in here in about five minutes," she said with a smile.

He nodded, "Of course, they love to wake us up at the crack of dawn to open Christmas presents. It's become tradition."

Erin smiled, "You started it. I saw Wyatt set his alarm for 4:30. So they will be in here in a minute."

"You think that if we lock the door, they will take a hint?"

Erin shook her head, "No. They will just stand out there and knock until we get up. Besides, it's tradition Babe."

He nodded, "Fine. But when they come in here, pretend to be asleep."

"You think they won't know we're faking?"

"No."

The door began to open and four little heads poked out to look into the bedroom. Jay and Erin's eyes were closed and they all walked into the room. The two little girls stood next to their mother's side of the bed as Wyatt and Caden climbed on the bed. Wyatt poked his father and got nothing. Caden looked at him with a smile, "They're faking!"

Jay grabbed both boys and pinned them down, "Got ya."

The two little girls laughed. Avery helped put Charlotte onto the bed as she climbed into her mother's lap, and Avery climbed onto the bed after her. Caden and Wyatt looked up at their father, "Can we go open our presents now?"

Jay sighed, "Why should I let you? You woke us up."

Avery giggled, "You weren't asleep."

"I was too," he said with a smile.

Charlotte gurgled and played with her mother's hand. "Jay...let them up." Erin sighed

He released them and let them sit up. Jay nodded and climbed out of the bed, lifting Avery into his arms.

They had four children.

Twin boys who were concieved the night she had asked her partner, the man she was completely in love with to move in with her.

Who knew a conversation about a flat screen TV and the man she loved tell her he loved her back would result in twins nine months later.

Wyatt and Caden were twin six year old boys, and Erin swore that she wouldn't have another child. But just over a year later when she found out she was pregnant with Avery, she was happy and a little afraid of the fact that they would have three children.

Avery was attached to her father, and worshipped the ground he walked on, as she was sure Charlotte would do also. Charlotte was the baby. Only 11 months old, she was precious. She was a happy baby, and the only one that actually slept through the night, much to the relief of Jay and Erin.

It had become a tradition that the boys would get up at 4:30 in the morning, wake up their sister, now sisters, and go wake their parents up to open presents. They always started from the youngest to the oldest, making the order Charlotte, Avery, Caden, Wyatt, Erin, Jay. Jay hated going last and tried to get out of it every year.

Jay walked into the kitchen and turned the coffee pot on, then walked into the living room, sitting next to Erin as Wyatt and Caden passed out the presents. Jay held out his hands to Charlotte and she climbed into his lap as Avery sat at his feet. "Daddy...where do you think Santa is now?"

"Bed."

"Where at?"

Caden sighed, "In the North Pole, silly."

"I'm not silly, am I Daddy?"

Jay smiled, "No, you're beautiful."

Avery made a face at Caden. When all the presents were divided up, Erin helped Jay unwrap Charlotte's presents as the two older boys looked on bored. "Can we please open ours now?"

"No. Wait your turn."

Charlotte clapped as she opened the last present, and Jay kissed her on the top of her head. She snuggled into his chest as he held her tighter. "Avery's turn."

Avery ripped through the paper on all her presents, and her face grew brighter every time. Wyatt and Caden leaned against the couch and wished she would hurry. Avery smiled when she was on her last present, and began opening it very slowly to torture her two brothers. Wyatt and Caden both looked at their parents, begging for them to make her hurry.

"Mom!"

"Avery, sweetie, your brothers are going to burst if you don't hurry."

Avery smiled at them and opened it quicker and was so happy with the doll she'd wanted that she stood and hugged both her parents. Caden began ripping through his presents as Wyatt began complaining, "Why can't we open ours at the same time? We're twins."

"But he was born before you."

"No…we were pulled out of Mom's tummy at the same time."

Jay smiled, "Not what the birth certificate says. So pipe down short stuff."

Erin smiled, "You know, you may regret calling him that one day…I have a feeling he's going to be huge."

Jay nodded, "I know." Charlotte giggled in his lap, "Isn't that right Charlie?"

"Don't call her that."

"Her name is Charlotte, why can't I call her that?"

"Because…no nicknames. She's Charlotte or Charlotte Grace. Pick one."

Jay smiled, "I get to name the next kid we have."

Erin sighed, "If you name him or her Beta, I will kill you."

Jay rolled his eyes as he laughed, "I was joking when I said that."

"You were not."

"If you remember correctly that came right after you went into labor and told me you hated me and never wanted to have any more chldren."

She sighed, "Yeah. I really hold out on my threats huh?"

He smiled, "I'm kind of happy you didn't."

Jay noticed that she didn't say she wouldn't have another one. He just didn't say anything to her about it in front of the children. He remembered the reaction when he told them about Charlotte. They weren't all that happy. Caden and Wyatt said they didn't want another sister and Avery cried because she thought they didn't want her anymore. Jay assured her that they would always want her. She was their 'baby'.

Avery climbed onto the couch between Erin and Jay and rested her head against his arm. Erin brushed her dark hair away from her face and kissed he side of her head. "You are so cute," she said with a smile.

Avery smiled up at her as they turned to watch Wyatt's face turn green with envy over the present Caden had just opened. Little did he know he had the same thing, except in a different color. Caden finally finished his opening his presents and it wasn't long until Wyatt had finished his, and the two boys were oblivious to everything around them. Avery and Charlotte had both fallen back to sleep, and Erin picked Avery up and carried her upstairs as Jay carried Charlotte behind her. They put them back in bed and walked into the hallway, their own yawns escaping their lips.

"Wyatt!" Erin called.

Wyatt ran to the bottom of the stairs, "Yeah?"

"You and Caden behave. Charlotte and Avery are sleeping again and your dad and I are headed back to bed."

He nodded and went back into the living room. Erin soon Erined Jay in their bedroom and found him already laying in the bed. She climbed in on her side and snuggled next to him, her fingers playing with the white t-shirt he was wearing.

Jay smiled down at her head, "How long until they come bother us?"

Erin yawned again and stretched her leg over his hips, "About three hours. Wyatt and Caden will watch the Grinch…which will give us time to sleep…"

"And Charlotte will sleep until about seven…"

"Yeah. So we are good."

Jay smiled as he heard Erin's breathing deepen, and found that she was soon asleep. It had been like this since Wyatt and Caden were old enough to understand the concept of Santa and presents. They would wake up before the sun rises, wake up their sister, coming barging into their room, and shake them awake no matter how much they complained. Everyone would open their presents, except their parents, and then the girls would go back to sleep, and Erin and Jay would end up back in bed. Around ten they would all get dressed and head to Hank's to eat a huge meal and open more presents. They would then leave there, make a stop at Platt's to let them see the kids she refers to as her grandkids, and no one argues with that. Then they will come back to the house, the kids will go to bed, and Jay and Erin will give their gifts to one another. That's Erin's favorite part. 

The bedroom door opened as Avery and Charlotte made their way inside. Erin opened her eyes, having become a light sleeper since she had children. Charlotte reached for her mother and she pulled her into the bed. Avery climbed onto the bed and lay next to her father. He opened his eyes and smiled. Charlotte was sitting up and clapping her hands, wanting attention from one of them. Jay rubbed her fuzzy head, "Dada". Erin and Jay both went wide eyed and sat up in the bed.

"Did she just say…"

"…She just said…"

"She said dadda. I can say it."

Jay smiled at Avery. He loved her. He hated that she thought they could ever stop loving her just because of Charlotte. "I know you can. And it's music to my ears. But she just said her first word."

"What was my first word?"

"Caden."

"Caden? Why would I say Caden?"

Erin smiled, "Because you loved Caden and he loved you. You were attached to the hip."

"Ew. I don't like Caden."

"Yes you do. You may not like Caden, but you love him."

Avery poked up her nose, "I do not." Jay kissed the top of her head.

Erin sighed, "And to think we're having another one…"

Jay looked over at her with wide eyes, "Another…one. Are you serious?"

Erin sighed and nodded, "Another one."

"Another one what?"

Erin looked at Jay and smiled, "Another baby."

"Another one?! But you just had Charlotte!"

"You don't want another brother or sister?"

She shook her head, "No!"

Jay pulled Avery into his arms, "Avery…" Erin picked Charlotte up into her arms and walked downstairs. She knew if anyone could make Avery open up to the idea, it was Jay.

"Avery, you know we love you…"

"But I don't want another brother…or sister."

"Why not?"

"Cause…"

"Cause why?"

"Cause Wyatt said that if you had another girl, you will send me away cause I'm the oldest."

"That would never happen. Why would I send you away?"

She shrugged, and wiped her eyes, "Cause Wyatt said…"

"If Wyatt doesn't stop telling you things like that we will send him to live with Aunty Platt."

"Her house smells funny."

Jay laughed, "So do you think he wants to tell you any more lies?"

She shook her head, "No."

"No. We love you and I would do anything in the world to make you know that. Understand?" he asked with a smile.

She nodded and clung to him as he climbed out of bed and walked downstairs to find Erin in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and Charlotte in her highchair. Wyatt and Caden were sleeping in the living room, and Jay smiled. "It's amazing. They're quiet."

Erin smiled at Avery, "Are you okay?"

Avery nodded, "Yeah. I want another sister. Brothers are mean."

Erin laughed, "I guess they are."

Jay put Avery down and walked over to Erin, "I figured out what the problem was."

"What?"

"Wyatt told her we were going to get rid of her if you had another girl."

"Oh? Well, maybe he'd like his presents sent back to the stor…"

"North Pole…"

"Yeah…something like that. I swear…every day he reminds me more and more of you."

Jay smiled, "I would never tell Will that. He used to tell me, however, that I was adopted."

Erin laughed and poured a bowl of cereal for Avery. "I remember him telling me he would make you cry because they told you that."

Avery's eyes went wide, "Daddy, you cried?!"

"Yeah. I do know how to cry, Avery."

"I've never seen you."

"I know. I cried when you were born."

"Why?"

He kissed the top of her head, "Because I was so happy to have you."

"I had her…you just kept telling me to "Keep it down and not moan so loud" Erin sighed.

"I think you're mixing that up with her conception" Jay teased as Erin raised her brow.

"What does that mean?" Avery asked.

"Nothing" Erin and Jay both said in unison.

Erin shook her head at her husband and walked over to the sink as she started to do dishes.

Jay rolled his eyes and sat next to his daughter. Erin turned on the radio in the kitchen and smiled at her daughter as she started to hum to the song.

Erin smiled as the two boys walked into the kitchen and sat at the table with their two sisters. Avery smiled at them, "I know a secret."

Jay smiled at Erin, "No you don't," Caden said with a smile.

"Yes I do."

"You don't even know how to tie your shoes. So you don't know any secrets." Caden shot

"Yes she does," Erin said with a smile.

They both looked up at their mother as she sat their cereal in front of them. "How does she know a secret?"

She smiled, "She just does."

"Can I tell 'em mama?" she asked with a smile.

Jay patted her on the head, "Yeah."

Avery smiled as she told her brothers and they both groaned. "Another one?"

"Is it a boy this time."

"Are you sure you want it to be a boy? We have to get rid of the oldest boy if it is."

Wyatt's eyes went wide, "No we don't!"

"Yes we do. Right Er."

Erin didn't say anything, just smiled. She knew that the baby next year would only add to the joy of Christmas. Jay smiled at the two boys,

"You're not going to send me away, right dad?" Wyatt asked.

Erin and Jay both shook their heads, "No. But if you tell your sister that we are shipping her off somewhere, I will personally lock you in the cage at work."

Erin laughed as she she looked out the window as it started to snow just as Hank pulled into their driveway.

Erin looked back at her family around the table and she smiled as she thought about how thankful she was that she followed her heart and took a chance on the man who had become so much more than just her back-up.

 ***~The End~***


End file.
